User manual GAMES PC STAR CONTROL II

[. . . ] 1 Table of Contents Introduction Starting the Game Confirm System Requirements Installing Star Control II Start-up Play Controls Menu Controls Keyboard Menu Controls Joystick Menu Controls Combat Commands Default Keyboard Combat Controls Joystick Combat Controls Navigation The Effects of Inertia and Gravity Interplanetary Travel Encounters in Interplanetary Space Entering Planetary Orbit Planet Types and Descriptions "Pushing" Up into HyperSpace HyperSpace Travel Fuel Use in HyperSpace Encounters in HyperSpace Returning to TrueSpace Ship Commands Starmap Alien Spheres of Influence Using the Autopilot Feature Scanning a Planet Specific Scans Mineral Scan 5 25 25 25 26 27 27 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 30 31 31 31 33 34 34 35 35 35 35 36 36 37 39 39 2 Biological Scan Energy Scan Dispatching a Lander Planet Surface Exploration Lander Status Display Returning to the Flagship Gathering Minerals Planetary Hazards Collecting Life-form Data Flagship's Manifest Checking Cargo Using Devices Ship's Roster Game Options Saving a Game in Progress Loading a Saved Game Changing Game Settings Changing Names Quitting the Game The Earth Starbase The Starbase Commander Transferring Minerals to the Starbase Outfitting Your Flagship Flagship Characteristics Fuel Flagship Enhancement Modules Adding and Removing Modules The Shipyard Adding and Removing Crew Combat Vessels Leaving the Starbase 40 40 40 41 41 41 41 42 43 43 43 44 44 45 45 45 46 47 47 47 48 48 48 49 49 49 50 51 51 52 53 3 Encountering Alien Races Combat Sequence Conversing with Aliens Attacking Aliens Combat Selecting a Ship The Battlefield Navigating Your Ship in Combat Collision with Asteroids and Planets Ship Status Displays Crew Batteries The Basics of Blasting Victory and Defeat Running Away Analyzing Enemy Wreckage Appendix I: Known Alien Races Races in the Alliance of Free Stars Races in the Ur-Quan Hierarchy Appendix II: Play Tips for Star Control II Maximizing Available Memory Enhancing Game Performance Solving Possible Conflicts with TSRs Known Conflicts Specifying Sound Card on the Command Line Loading Problems Garbled Graphics or Blank Screen Graphic Adapter Fix Booting Clean Technical Support Online Support 54 54 55 56 56 56 56 57 57 57 57 58 58 59 59 60 61 61 65 70 70 70 71 71 71 72 73 73 73 76 76 4 Appendix III: Instructions for SuperMelee 77 Starting SuperMelee 77 The SuperMelee Main Screen 78 Creating a SuperMelee Team 78 Game Settings 79 Who Controls Each Team 80 Input Device 80 Computer Opponent's Skill Level 80 Leaving Settings Menu 81 Saving and Loading SuperMelee Teams 81 Fighting in Melee 81 Picking Ships 81 Fighting a Battle 82 Winning SuperMelee 82 Replaying Melee with the Same Teams 82 Returning to the Team Edit Screen 82 Appendix IV: Keyboard Configuration Utility 83 Appendix V: Combat Vessel Descriptions 83 Appendix VI: Flagship Modules 98 Game Credits 101 Legal Mumbo Jumbo 102 5 INTRODUCTION Welcome aboard. Star Control II will take you on a far journey, a space odyssey encompassing the realms of science-fiction and role-playing. This epic adventure spans hundreds of light years, and evokes a history reaching back over 250, 000 years. As you travel out among the stars, your decisions and actions will directly affect the destiny of 18 intelligent, star-faring species, including the inhabitants of Earth. [. . . ] The characteristics of your flagship depend on the selection of Multi-Function modules you make. You are limited to a maximum of 16 Multi-Function modules. The optimum lay-out of modules for your starship will depend on your specific mission, and your style of play. Adding and Removing Modules To add a module to your flagship, choose +MODULE. The game will then display a list of available modules in the Flagship Status Window. Move the highlight to the module you wish to add and press Enter. A flashing cursor will now appear on the schematic display, allowing you to position the module on your vessel. Move the cursor with the Cursor keys and press Enter. The cursor will 51 now move back to the module list so that you can add more modules, if desired. When you are done adding modules to your flagship, press Spacebar or Button #2 to return to the Command Menu. There is no perfect configuration of modules, so at times during the game you will want to replace a module on your flagship. To remove a module and recover most of its value, choose -MODULE from the Command Menu. A flashing cursor will then appear on the schematic display of your vessel. Use the Cursor keys to move the highlight to the module you wish to remove and press Enter. Note: You cannot remove modules which contain resources such as fuel in Fuel Tanks or minerals in Cargo Bays. If you want to remove such modules, first empty them. For a detailed list of module descriptions, see Appendix VI ­ Flagship Modules. The Shipyard In addition to enhancing your flagship, the Earth Starbase can also build additional combat vessels to escort you on your travels through space. To build combat ships, or commission new crew members for your flagship or combat vessels, choose SHIPYARD from the Starbase Main Menu. At the top of the Shipyard Screen you will see a schematic of your ship which shows how much fuel, cargo, and crew you have aboard. Beneath this schematic are the 12 ship hangars in which you can build your fleet of combat vessels. Adding and Removing Crew To add new crew members, select +CREW from the Shipyard Command 52 Menu. A flashing cursor will appear on the schematic of your flagship. Move the cursor using the Cursor keys to the ship to which you want to add crew, and press Enter. [. . . ] The module slots in which you can put a weapon are marked in blue. WEAPON POSITION First (right most) slot Second slot Third slot Last (left most) slot FIRING EFFECT Fires Forward Fires a spread Fires to both sides Fires backwards It is recommended that you balance the number of Ion-Gun Racks on your 100 vessel with 1/3 to 1/2 as many Dynamo Modules to provide your ship with an adequate rate of fire in combat. Other Modules Maximum: Unknown New types of Modules will become available at the Earth Starbase as the game progresses. The function and cost of such Modules will be explained as they are made available. 101 Game Credits Programming Game Design and Fiction Additional Design Art Fred Ford Paul Reiche III Greg Johnson, Fred Ford, Robert Leyland and Greg Hammond George Barr, Paul Reiche III, Erol Otus, Kyle Balda, Greg Johnson, and Armand Cabrera Paul Reiche III, Erol Otus, Fred Ford Riku Nuottajarvi, Dan Nicholson, Marc Brown, Aaron Grier, Eric Berge, Kevin Palivec, Erol Otus and Tommy Dunbar Pam Levins Robert Daly Tomi Quintana and Joel Dinolt Paula Polley, Paul Reiche III and Dick Moran Jeff Rianda and George Barr W. D. [. . . ]